Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Dodge 48re

So second gear band is burnt in my 07 5.9 diesel truck. Made it 57K. Lot of expensive options. Local guy wants $3200 to do a rebuild with some upgrades complete. Online I see a couple company's who claim it is built proof rebuild. One is in Spokane Washington. About an 8 hour drive from here. Take mine in with torque converter and trade it for one of theirs cuts my costs a few hundred. But then I get to wallow around on my shop floor to do all the work. Another option is one of the bigger Transmission shops which do have a warrantee. Small local shop? not so much. I'm betting others have already gone through this decision process. So be kind.

Here is another option I may look into more. Its problem is no local dealers for install. But it reads good http://www.atsdiesel.com/ats2/productdetail.asp?p=3099142308

You may want to search for reviews on the last company you mentioned before you pull the trigger.
The Gold Standard for 48RE builds that stay together is IMHO, Suncoast.

$4299 without torque converter or any shipping. From Florida.

I've learned that I can only afford to buy it once. Not saying your other options wouldn't work, but I know what I'd be doing.

Google dusty hawk at hawk torqueflite transmissions or HTS transmissions.

It is scheduled for a rebuild at a local shop. Updating the trans for towing. Billet torque converter, What the online rebuilders call a level 1 build. adding a fan cooled oil cooler, installed $3800. I drop it off January 9th. 2 year unlimited mileage warrantee. The big benefit for me, I do not have to do anything. Except write the check. The online options which cost more, had me doing all the under truck work.

Not a fan cooled oil cooler. Just a large one added to system on truck already. Truck is in the shop. Claim they have seen 300k out of 1000lb torque 5.9's. in Tow truck company wreckers. On the rebuild they do.

An up date. After rebuild it had a code. New overdrive sensor failed. When doing diagnostics we found the Throttle valve actuator was bad. It is what killed the trans. They changed all electronics again and new TTVA. On test drive Torque converter would not lockup. 2nd New torque converter installed. Drove it today, Finally after three months out of service it is fixed. (I Hope) While in shop one of their customers backed into the truck. Minor damage I fixed myself this afternoon. Shop did labor on TTVA free and no part markup.

Damn Dodge auto tranny’s. Good luck

i'd sell it and never look back. my 05 was a money pit. i was never so glad to be rid of a vehicle as that one. i lost thousands on it.

My -06 had 150k on it w/ auto tranny. Had a bad solenoid at ~90k but other than that it was rock solid. Didn't chip it, didn't drive it like a teenager and all was good. Did haul some pretty good loads to my house when I was having it built and landscaping it.

I know 2 people with ram 2500's. Both have had to replace transmissions and torque converters. One at 47,000 miles with no towing. I know it's a small sample, but ram doesn't seem to be be capable of making a lasting transmission. The local dealer said they have done over 1,000 most under warranty. I can't imagine that number is accurate, but maybe it is. All I know is I don't want anything to do with a ram transmission. Good luck.

I have a 16 with the 68RFE I should of got a 3500 with G56 oh well lol.. So far 68RFE has done well..

lots of 48rfe and 68rfe have over 200k on them and still running strong , the Dodge transmission issue is way overblown IMO , but any auto tranny can fail


personally , Ive had very bad luck with GM transmissions

It's not only the A/T's. I have an '08 Dodge 2500 diesel with the manual. The transmission is strong but the stock clutches suck. Mine went out at about 80 or 90k. They have that dual mass flywheel that causes a lot of problems. I no longer have it. I had an upgraded flywheel and clutch installed that should last the life of the pickup.

The older Dodges are such junk. Really a shame given the Cummins engine in and of itself is pretty dang good.

And here I am, driving my 2nd Cummins powered 2500, my 5th Dodge/Ram truck in a row since 1996. All have been auto transmission trucks, all except the current 2014 with well over 100k miles on each, and no transmission failures, except my 2003 Cummins. It broke the reverse gear piston actuator lever while backing a loaded trailer up a steep driveway. Freak occurrence, even Garmon Diesel Performance hadn’t seen it before. Still allowed me to drive it in 3rd gear to him for repair. Took the opportunity to beef it up as I had done a few engine upgrades. This was at around 60k miles. The truck dynoed 503 hp and 1060 ft/lb to the wheels after the build and was problem free until I sold it at 297k miles.

So yeah, I would avoid them like the plague. Terrible trucks, not sure how they have survived in the current market, with all those flawless competitors out there........ cough, cough.

Try buying a used one with any life left in it. The local dealers never get them. Those that own them, get ridiculous prices for them if sell. E

So out of 5 Ram's you have had one tranny failure. I guess if a 20% failure rate is good...